Summary
This documentary tells the real-life story of Nottingham Forest's extraordinary 1979 European Cup triumph and the colourful exploits of the club's manager, Brian Clough
This documentary tells the real-life story of Nottingham Forest's extraordinary 1979 European Cup triumph and the colourful exploits of the club's manager, Brian Clough
We go back to the days of short shorts, mud-bath pitches and sardine-packed terraces for this celebratory portrait of one of football's most unlikely champion sides. Picking up the play halfway through the 1970s, it charts how "Old Big 'Ead" Brian Clough put the disaster of his brief tenure at Leeds United behind him (as depicted in 2009 drama The Damned United) to manage Nottingham Forest, a team languishing in Second Division mediocrity. Their sensational rise under the guidance of Clough and his former assistant Peter Taylor saw the team quickly promoted, followed by winning the League Cup and First Division title, before setting their sights on European glory. TV match footage, tabloid headlines and testimony from the players themselves chart Forest's goal-by-goal ascent to the top, with Clough offering his wit and wisdom in archive interviews. Described by million-pound signing Trevor Francis as "eccentric bordering on genius", Clough commanded the absolute loyalty of his team, and their camaraderie and respect for the man and his unconventional methods remain undiminished. Ultimately, it's not about what they achieved but how they did it, and director Jonny Owen tells the story with flair, humour and a groovy soundtrack, always mindful of Clough's credo to put on a good show for the paying public.
role | name |
---|---|
Director | Jonny Owen |